v50 Steam/Premium information for editors
  • v50 information can now be added to pages in the main namespace. v0.47 information can still be found in the DF2014 namespace. See here for more details on the new versioning policy.
  • Use this page to report any issues related to the migration.
This notice may be cached—the current version can be found here.

Difference between revisions of "Goblin language"

From Dwarf Fortress Wiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search
 
(20 intermediate revisions by 6 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
The '''Goblin language''' is one of the four [[language]]s the player will come across, besides [[Dwarven language|Dwarven]], [[Elvish language|Elvish]] and [[Human language|Human]]. This language is used in-game for the names of the universe, continents, rivers, goblin governments and settlements, goblins, artifacts and engravings. However, as of yet, it lacks everything necessary for proper conversation, like grammar or personal pronouns.
+
{{av}}
 +
 
 +
{{distinguish|l1 = Black Speech|wikipedia: Black Speech}}
 +
The '''Goblin language''' is one of the [[language]]s the player will come across. This language is used in-game for the names of the universe, continents, rivers, goblin governments and settlements, [[goblin]]s, [[artifact]]s and [[engraving]]s. However, as of yet, it lacks everything necessary for proper conversation, like grammar or personal pronouns.
  
 
==Alphabet==
 
==Alphabet==
Line 36: Line 39:
 
===Letter frequency===
 
===Letter frequency===
 
{| class = "wikitable sortable"
 
{| class = "wikitable sortable"
! N !! Letter !! Frequency
+
! N !! Letter
 +
!colspan="2"| Frequency
 +
|-
 +
| 1 || A || 671 || 6.43%
 +
|-
 +
| 2 || Â || 29 || 0.28%
 +
|-
 +
| 3 || Ä || 27 || 0.26%
 +
|-
 +
| 4 || Å || 1 || 0.01%
 +
|-
 +
| 5 || B || 265 || 2.54%
 +
|-
 +
| 6 || D || 280 || 2.69%
 +
|-
 +
| 7 || E || 312 || 2.99%
 +
|-
 +
| 8 || Ê || 15 || 0.14%
 +
|-
 +
| 9 || Ë || 24 || 0.23%
 +
|-
 +
| 10 || G || 577 || 5.53%
 +
|-
 +
| 11 || K || 306 || 2.93%
 +
|-
 +
| 12 || L || 436 || 4.18%
 +
|-
 +
| 13 || M || 550 || 5.27%
 +
|-
 +
| 14 || N || 754 || 7.23%
 +
|-
 +
| 15 || O || 1292 || 12.39%
 +
|-
 +
| 16 || Ô || 59 || 0.57%
 +
|-
 +
| 17 || Ö || 70 || 0.67%
 +
|-
 +
| 18 || P || 271 || 2.6%
 +
|-
 +
| 19 || R || 384 || 3.68%
 +
|-
 +
| 20 || S || 1523 || 14.6%
 +
|-
 +
| 21 || T || 650 || 6.23%
 +
|-
 +
| 22 || TH || 6 || 0.06%
 +
|-
 +
| 23 || U || 1296 || 12.43%
 +
|-
 +
| 24 || Û || 66 || 0.63%
 +
|-
 +
| 25 || X || 262 || 2.51%
 
|-
 
|-
| 1 ||A || align=right |  6.41%
+
| 26 || Z || 302 || 2.9%
|-                       
 
| 2 ||Â || align=right |  0.28%
 
|-                       
 
| 3 ||Ä || align=right |  0.26%
 
|-                       
 
| 4 ||Å || align=right | 0.30%
 
|-                       
 
| 5 ||B || align=right |  2.53%
 
|-                       
 
| 6 ||D || align=right |  2.68%
 
|-                       
 
| 7 ||E || align=right |  2.98%
 
|-                       
 
| 8 ||Ê || align=right |  0.14%
 
|-                       
 
| 9 ||Ë || align=right |  0.23%
 
|-                       
 
| 10 ||G || align=right | 5.51%
 
|-                       
 
| 11 ||H || align=right | 0.06%
 
|-                       
 
| 12 ||K || align=right | 2.92%
 
|-                       
 
| 13 ||L || align=right | 4.17%
 
|-                       
 
| 14 ||M || align=right | 5.26%
 
|-                       
 
| 15 ||N || align=right | 7.21%
 
|-                       
 
| 16 ||O || align=right | 12.35
 
|-                       
 
| 17 ||Ô || align=right | 0.56%
 
|-                       
 
| 18 ||Ö || align=right | 0.67%
 
|-                       
 
| 19 ||P || align=right | 2.59%
 
|-                       
 
| 20 ||R || align=right | 3.67%
 
|-                       
 
| 21 ||S || align=right | 14.55
 
|-                       
 
| 22 ||T || align=right | 6.27%
 
|-                       
 
| 23 ||U || align=right | 12.39
 
|-                       
 
| 24 ||Û || align=right | 0.63%
 
|-                       
 
| 25 ||X || align=right | 2.50%
 
|-                       
 
| 26 ||Z || align=right | 2.89%
 
 
|}
 
|}
  
==Phonology==
+
==Graphemics==
* [[wikipedia:digraph (orthography)|Digraphs]] ''st'', ''sp'', ''sm'', ''sl'', ''sn'', and ''th''.
+
 
 +
''The study of the [[wikipedia: Grapheme|graphemes]], or writing units, of a script, and of their relation to the phonemes of the spoken language.''
 +
 
 +
* [[wikipedia:digraph (orthography)|Digraph]] ''th''.
 
** ''h'' only occurs in the digraph ''th''. ''h'' is a  rare letter in Goblin.
 
** ''h'' only occurs in the digraph ''th''. ''h'' is a  rare letter in Goblin.
 
** ''p'' only occurs in the digraph ''sp''.
 
** ''p'' only occurs in the digraph ''sp''.
* [[wikipedia:trigraph (orthography)|Trigraph]] ''str''.
+
* Common consonant clusters ''st'', ''sp'', ''sm'', ''sl'', ''sn'', and ''str''.
 
* Goblin has no [[wikipedia:diphthongs|diphthongs]].
 
* Goblin has no [[wikipedia:diphthongs|diphthongs]].
 
* [[wikipedia: syllable structure|Syllable structure]] (C)<sup>3</sup>V(C)<sup>3</sup>.
 
* [[wikipedia: syllable structure|Syllable structure]] (C)<sup>3</sup>V(C)<sup>3</sup>.
 +
 +
===Diacritic meaning===
 +
The Goblin language has three diacritics  ([[wikipedia:Circumflex|◌̂]], [[wikipedia:Diaeresis (diacritic)|◌̈]], and [[wikipedia:Ring (diacritic)|◌̊]]) used on four vowels (''a'', ''e'', ''o'', and ''u''). It's probable that this is just a simpler version of the Dwarven language's system, keeping the mid, falling, and rising pitch contours.
 +
 +
It's interesting that the diacritics used here are the exact ones not used in Elvish (and vise-versa).
  
 
==Vocabulary==
 
==Vocabulary==
{{main|Template:Language table}}
+
{{main|Language#Vocabulary}}
 +
 
 +
The average word in the Goblin language is 4.815 letters long. The longest known word is ''snosstrosp'', meaning "clout".
 +
 
 +
The average word has 1.878 syllables. Words either have one or two syllables.
  
 
{{gamedata}}
 
{{gamedata}}
Line 106: Line 122:
  
 
[[Category:Language]]
 
[[Category:Language]]
 +
[[ru:Goblin language]]

Latest revision as of 16:51, 8 July 2023

This article is about the current version of DF.
Note that some content may still need to be updated.

Not to be confused with Black Speech.

The Goblin language is one of the languages the player will come across. This language is used in-game for the names of the universe, continents, rivers, goblin governments and settlements, goblins, artifacts and engravings. However, as of yet, it lacks everything necessary for proper conversation, like grammar or personal pronouns.

Alphabet[edit]

The letters of the Goblin alphabet are:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26
Majuscule forms (also called uppercase or capital letters)
A Â Ä Å B D E Ê Ë G H K L M N O Ô Ö P R S T U Û X Z
Minuscule forms (also called lowercase or small letters)
a â ä å b d e ê ë g h k l m n o ô ö p r s t u û x z

Of these 26 letters, 12 are vowels (A, Â, Ä, Å, E, Ê, Ë, O, Ô, Ö, U, Û); the 14 others are consonants.

The letters C, F, I, J, Q, V, W, and Y of the ISO basic Latin alphabet do not occur in the Goblin alphabet.

Letter frequency[edit]

N Letter Frequency
1 A 671 6.43%
2 Â 29 0.28%
3 Ä 27 0.26%
4 Å 1 0.01%
5 B 265 2.54%
6 D 280 2.69%
7 E 312 2.99%
8 Ê 15 0.14%
9 Ë 24 0.23%
10 G 577 5.53%
11 K 306 2.93%
12 L 436 4.18%
13 M 550 5.27%
14 N 754 7.23%
15 O 1292 12.39%
16 Ô 59 0.57%
17 Ö 70 0.67%
18 P 271 2.6%
19 R 384 3.68%
20 S 1523 14.6%
21 T 650 6.23%
22 TH 6 0.06%
23 U 1296 12.43%
24 Û 66 0.63%
25 X 262 2.51%
26 Z 302 2.9%

Graphemics[edit]

The study of the graphemes, or writing units, of a script, and of their relation to the phonemes of the spoken language.

  • Digraph th.
    • h only occurs in the digraph th. h is a rare letter in Goblin.
    • p only occurs in the digraph sp.
  • Common consonant clusters st, sp, sm, sl, sn, and str.
  • Goblin has no diphthongs.
  • Syllable structure (C)3V(C)3.

Diacritic meaning[edit]

The Goblin language has three diacritics (◌̂, ◌̈, and ◌̊) used on four vowels (a, e, o, and u). It's probable that this is just a simpler version of the Dwarven language's system, keeping the mid, falling, and rising pitch contours.

It's interesting that the diacritics used here are the exact ones not used in Elvish (and vise-versa).

Vocabulary[edit]

Main article: Language#Vocabulary

The average word in the Goblin language is 4.815 letters long. The longest known word is snosstrosp, meaning "clout".

The average word has 1.878 syllables. Words either have one or two syllables.

Races
Divine · Dwarven · Elvish · Goblin · Human · Kobold
Modding
Text Sets